Reflection: The Holy Innocents

Beloved, now this is the message that we have heard from Jesus Christ and proclaim to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5

Jesus came to us in Goodness and Light as a vulnerable little baby born in a stable in Bethlehem. Amid the joy of Christmas, there is great sadness today as we remember the Feast Day of the Holy Innocents, the male children under the age of two who were put to death by Herod. His hatred for these little children made them the first martyrs for Jesus. 

When Herod realized that the Magi did not return to him after they followed the star to see the newborn king of the Jews, he became furious and ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under. The horror of the massacre and the devastation of the mothers and fathers led Matthew to quote Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children...”Rachel was the wife of Jacob. She is pictured as weeping at the place where the Israelites were herded together by the conquering Assyrians for their march into captivity.

Matthew 2:12-15
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way. When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him." Joseph rose and took the Child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called my son."

Ponder what it was like for Joseph when the angel appeared to him in a dream. Imagine how concerned he must have been for Mary and the Child Jesus. Joseph did not doubt or question the angel. He rose from the dream and left for Egypt immediately. Joseph trusted and obeyed God. Pray to Joseph and ask him to help you trust in God as he did.

Matthew 2:16-18
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the Magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet: "A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more."

Herod was “greatly troubled” when astrologers from the east came asking the whereabouts of “the newborn king of the Jews,” whose star they had seen. They were told that the Jewish Scriptures named Bethlehem as the place where the Messiah would be born. Herod cunningly told them to report back to him so that he could also “do him homage.” They found Jesus, offered him their gifts and, warned by an angel, avoided Herod on their way home. Jesus escaped to Egypt.

We remember the Holy Innocents today. We pray for all the babies lost in our time to the horror of abortion. We pray for their families and for all souls wounded by abortion.
Kiss of Mercy - Prayer Apostolate for Healing from Abortion

A baby is a precious gift from God. We pray that ALL LIFE will be protected through the powerful intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Unborn.

The Shrine of the Holy Innocents - A sacred place of prayer and healing for parents and others who have been touched by the loss of a child.

O Come Let Us Adore Him

For a Child is born to us, a Son is given us; upon His shoulder, dominion rests. They name Him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:5 

Luke 8-14 "Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."

Heavenly Father, we contemplate and gaze upon the newborn Baby Jesus, all holy, full of innocence, the Son of God.  Sweet Baby Jesus, Prince of Peace, we rejoice on this day of Your birth. Come into our hearts with Your peace and love. We entrust to You all the names we receive through this prayer ministry and we ask Our Lady of the Rosary to always be Our Comforter and Our Most Powerful Intercessor.  O Come O Come Emmanuel!

Jesus came to us as a little Baby so we would not be afraid to come to Him. Let us make our hearts like the manger ready to receive Jesus and His great Love for us. 

O Come Let Us Adore Him!

The Message of God's Love

What Child is this?

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."  Luke 2:8-14 

When the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds and the glory of the Lord shone around them they had great fear but they listened to the message of the angel.  O Lord, help us to listen to you when we are afraid.  Help us to see the signs You give us that lead us to great joy. Stay with us, as we come, gazing at You lying in the manger.  O Prince of Peace, bring Your peace into the world, into our families and into our hearts. 

When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.  Luke 2:15-20 

O Mary and Joseph, the shepherds came in haste to see the babe lying in the manger.  You welcomed them as you welcome us to come and see the baby Jesus, His hands outstretched to us.  As we kneel before the baby, we sing songs of praise to see the newborn King.  O Mary, you kept all these things, pondering them in your heart.  Help us to be like you, Mary, and to ponder all the Lord has done for us.  Blessed Saint Joseph and Holy Mary, Mother of God, draw us close to the Baby Jesus where we may find comfort and rest. 

The Canticle of Mary

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord. My spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For He has looked with favor on His lowly servant. Luke 1:46-48

"Mary will comfort you in your discouragements, solace you in your fatigues, raise you after your falls, reward you for your successes. She will show you her Son, your God and your all. When your spirit within you is excited, or relaxed, or depressed, when it loses its balance, when it is restless and wayward, when it is sick of what it has, and hankers after what it has not, when your eye is solicited with evil and your mortal frame trembles under the shadow of the Tempter, what will bring you to yourselves, to peace and to health, but the cool breath of the Immaculate and the fragrance of the Rose of Sharon." Blessed John Henry Newman

 I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valley. As a lily among thorns, so is my beloved among women. As an apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my lover among men. I delight to rest in his shadow, and his fruit is sweet to my mouth. He brings me into the banquet hall and his emblem over me is love. Strengthen me with raisin cakes, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love. His left hand is under my head and his right arm embraces me. Song of Solomon 2:1-6

As you prepare your hearts for the coming of the Baby Jesus, call upon Mary in all the difficulties you may be experiencing. Ask her to comfort you, to protect your loved ones and to draw you close to the Baby Jesus. As you kneel at the crib, gaze at Him in wonder. He gazes at you with great love. You are His beloved child. Open your heart now and let the Baby Jesus enter. Invite Him in. Let Him shine His light and love upon you.


The Almighty has done great things for me and Holy is His Name. Luke 1:49

The Christmas crib

The cherished tradition of the Christmas crib and the Nativity scene was begun by Saint Francis of Assisi. On Christmas Eve in 1223, Saint Francis longed to see, with his own eyes, how Jesus came to Bethlehem, that he arranged to have the scene recreated in a cave at Greccio, using live people and animals. During the solemnities of the Mass being offered there, a little child was seen lying in the manger.

From that celebration began the custom of the Christmas crib or crèche. The manger helps us to contemplate the love of God who came as a little Baby and revealed Himself in the simplicity of the Bethlehem cave. Saint Francis of Assisi was so overwhelmed by the mystery of the Incarnation that he wanted to present it again in Greccio with the living manger, which led to our tradition today.

The crib helps us understand the secret of the true Christmas because it speaks of humility, poverty and the merciful goodness of Christ,

Though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor.  2 Corinthians 8:9

Christmas brings joy and peace to those who accept the words of the angel, as the shepherds did:

And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.  Luke 2:12

Place your Nativity scene under your Christmas tree as a visible reminder of that Holy Night when our Savior was born. May we see the Holy Family, Mary and Joseph and the little Babe of Bethlehem, who came to save us from sin. May we remember that the wood of the manger that held Him so securely would one day give way to the wood of the Cross. May we too embrace Jesus with all of our love as Saint Francis did.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, pray for us and all the names we receive through this ministry.

Reflection: "She will bear a Son and you are to name Him Jesus"

When the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and told him Mary's child was conceived  by the Holy Spirit, Joseph responded with complete trust. He awoke from his dream and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and he took Mary into his home. 

Ponder Joseph's trust and ask him to teach you how to trust the way he trusted. When the angel appeared in his dream, calling Joseph, by name, the angel's first words were, "Do not be afraid." 

Behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this Child has been conceived in her. She will bear a Son and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins."  Matthew 1:20-21

The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home."  Joseph was betrothed to Mary. Imagine how he must have felt when he found out that Mary was with child! He was a good and loving man. He wanted to protect Mary so decided he would divorce her quietly. 

Meditation:

Are you afraid about something? Is there a situation in your life that provokes fear and worry? Go to Joseph. When you are faced with something that you do not understand, go to Joseph. Ask him to be with you and to help you trust the way he did. Go to Joseph. He will console you and protect you. As you await the birth of the Baby Jesus, invite Joseph to come into your home, the home of your heart.

Visit a chapel this week before Christmas, sit before the tabernacle or the creche and ponder the angel's message to Joseph. The angel called him "by name" and told him not to be afraid. As you sit before the Lord, He calls you "by name." Pour out your heart to Him and receive His love and peace.

Behold, the Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and they shall name Him Emmanuel which means "God is with us." Matthew 1:23

Reflection: We are Sandy Hook. We choose love. 26 Angels, always here, never forgotten.

Today is the 5th anniversary of the Newtown Connecticut school tragedy, We remember the lives of twenty children and six educators and their families, friends and loved ones. 

Today on the door of a local diner, a teddy bear with wings cradles a smaller bear, alongside a message, declaring that the town's twenty six Angels are always here, never forgotten.

We pray for the community, for the priests of Saint Rose of Lima Parish and for the ministers and rabbis who continue to guide and console all the brokenhearted. 

I am the Lord, your God, who grasp your right hand; It is I who say to you, "Fear not, I will help you."  Isaiah 41:13

May the Angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs greet you at your arrival and lead you into the holy city, Jerusalem. May the choir of Angels greet you and like Lazarus, who once was a poor man, may you have eternal rest.

Jesus is the Divine Healer. May Mother Mary wrap her protective mantle around the grieving families, console them and draw them into the Sacred Heart of Jesus where they will find healing, hope, comfort and rest.

The Lord is near the brokenhearted. Psalm 34:18

After the massacre, there was a simple sign in Newtown:

We are Sandy Hook. We choose love.

Love and truth will meet. justice and peace will kiss.  Psalm 85:11

Through the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary, we pray for continued healing and hope for the community in Newtown Connecticut. We implore the intercession of Father Patrick Peyton CSC, the Rosary Priest and remember his powerful messages: "A family that prays together stays together" and "A world at prayer is a world at peace."  May the love of Jesus and Mary be poured into their broken hearts.

A child shall lead them.  Isaiah 11:6 

In the midst of horror and suffering, God descends.

Mediation:
Place yourself in the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ. As you rest there with Him, imagine God the Father descending upon you and the Holy Spirit coming to you with His love and grace. You are in the Presence of the Holy Trinity and Mary is with you. Gaze at the Face of Jesus and bring your sorrows and sufferings to Him. Ask Jesus for the grace of healing and peace.  

Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your Holy Will, which is Love and Mercy itself.  Closing prayer of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Today bring to Me the meek and humble souls and the souls of little children and immerse them in My Mercy. Sixth day of the Novena of Divine Mercy

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!

Patroness of the Unborn and of the Americas  
Today is the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. A poor Indian Juan Diego was a 57 year old widower who lived in a small village near Mexico City. On Saturday morning December 9, 1531, he was on his way to attend Mass in honor of Our Lady. He was walking by a hill called Tepeyac when he heard beautiful music like the warbling of birds. A radiant cloud appeared and within it a young Native American maiden dressed like an Aztec princess. The lady spoke to him in his own language and sent him to the bishop of Mexico, a Franciscan named Juan de Zumarraga. The bishop was to build a chapel in the place where the lady appeared.

Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego:
"Do not be troubled or weighed down with grief. Do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here, who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the fountain of your joy?"

“My dearest son, I am the eternal Virgin Mary, Mother of the true God, Author of Life, Creator of all and Lord of the Heavens and of the Earth...and it is my desire that a church be built here in this place for me, where, as your most merciful Mother and that of all your people, I may show my loving clemency and the compassion that I bear to the Indians, and to those who love and seek me.”

Juan Diego went to the bishop who told him to have the lady give him a sign. About this same time Juan Diego’s uncle became seriously ill. Poor Diego tried to avoid the lady but she appeared to him and assured him that his uncle would recover and she provided roses for Juan to carry to the bishop in his cape or tilma. Juan Diego told his story to the Spanish bishop, who instructed him to return and ask the Lady for a miraculous sign to prove her claim. The Virgin told Juan Diego to gather some flowers from the top of Tepeyac Hill. It was winter and no flowers bloomed, but on the hilltop Diego found flowers of every sort, and the Virgin herself arranged them in his tilma, or peasant cloak. When Juan Diego opened his tilma in the bishop’s presence, the roses fell to the ground and the bishop sank to his knees. On Juan Diego’s tilma appeared an image of Mary miraculously imprinted exactly as she had appeared at the hill of Tepeyac. It was December 12, 1531.

The Image on the Tilma

The imprint of Mary on the tilma is striking, and the symbolism was primarily directed to Juan Diego and the Aztecs. Mary appears as a beautiful young Indian maiden with a look of love, compassion, and humility, her hands folded in prayer in reference to the Almighty God. Her rose dress, adorned with a jasmine flower, eight petal flowers, and nine heart flowers symbolic to the Aztec culture, is that of an Aztec princess. Her blue mantle symbolized the royalty of the gods, and the blue color symbolized life and unity. The stars on the mantle signified the beginning of a new civilization. La Morenita appeared on the day of the winter solstice, considered the day of the sun's birth; the Virgin's mantle accurately represents the 1531 winter solstice! Mary stands in front of and hides the sun, but the rays of the sun still appear around her, signifying she is greater than the sun god, the greatest of the native divinities, but the rays of the sun still bring light. Twelve rays of the sun surround her face and head. She stands on the moon, supported by an angel with wings like an eagle: to the Aztec, this indicated her superiority to the moon god, the god of night, and her divine, regal nature.

Most important are the black maternity band, a jasmine flower, and a cross that are present in the image. Mary wore a black maternity band, signifying she was with child. At the center of the picture, overlying her womb, is a jasmine flower in the shape of an Indian cross, which is the sign of the Divine and the center of the cosmic order to the Aztec. This symbol indicated that the baby Mary carried within her, Jesus Christ, the Word made Flesh, is Divine and the new center of the universe. On the brooch around her neck was a black Christian cross, indicating she is both a bearer and follower of Christ, the Son of God, our Savior, who died on the Cross to save mankind. The image signified Mary bringing her Son Christ to the New World through one of their own.

Our Lady's apparition was an event of great significance for Native Americans. Nine million Indians became Catholic in a very short time. Our Lady of Guadalupe shows us God's love for the poor and for the unborn.  Our Lady said to Juan Diego, "I will give all my protection to the people. I am the merciful Mother of all mankind. Am I not your fountain of life."  Our Lady of Guadalupe protects all her children, born and unborn.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, we entrust all the names we receive through this prayer ministry to you, our most loving and merciful Mother.

Reflection: Prepare the way of the Lord...

A voice of one crying in the desert: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths."  Mark 1:3

In the wilderness, John the Baptist proclaimed the saving Presence of God.  After the Baptism of the Lord, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit rested upon Him in the form of a dove. The voice of the Father was heard: This is My Beloved Son, listen to Him.  God came to a deserted place. He calls us into a deserted place, into the silence, where we can hear Him. 

Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortable unto her.  Hosea 2:14  

It is the second week of Advent, a time of waiting and a time of preparing. As we await the coming of the birth of Jesus, let us ask Him to come into our hearts. Find a place to be quiet and sit with the Lord. Stop into a chapel or church. Place yourself in His Presence and just be. When you quiet your mind and heart, He will speak to you in the silence.

Be still and know that I am God.  Psalm 46:10

Be still and trust in God. You are His beloved child. He never leaves you alone, unaided, or forgotten. God comes when you call Him. Be still. When the noise and storms of the world are all around you, come into the quiet Presence of the Lord and the storms will not come into your heart. Place your worries and fears in His hands and place yourself in His Presence. When you are in pain or anguish, God comes and He heals your broken heart. 

Be still. Pray and ponder God's Word, rest, take a walk, slow down and free your mind and heart so God can dwell within you. Prepare the way of the Lord...

Be still and know that I am God.  Psalm 46:10

Saint Juan Diego

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Juan Diego.  He deeply loved the Holy Eucharist.  By special permission of the Bishop, he received Holy Communion three times a week, a highly unusual occurrence during those times. Saint Pope John Paul II praised Juan Diego for his simple faith nourished by catechesis and pictured him as a model of humility for all of us.

Our Lady of Guadalupe spoke these words to Juan Diego and she speaks these words to us.

Am I not here, who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the fountain of your joy? Are you not in the fold of my mantle, in the cradle of my arms?

Prayer to Saint Juan Diego
You who were chosen by Our Lady of Guadalupe as an instrument to show your people and the world that the way of Christianity is one of love, compassion, understanding, values, sacrifices, repentance of our sins, appreciation and respect for God’s creation, and most of all one of humility and obedience; You whom we know is now in the Kingdom of the Lord and close to our Mother; Be our angel and protect us, stay with us as we struggle in this modern life often not knowing where to set our priorities; Help us to pray to our God to obtain the gifts of the Holy Spirit and use them for the good of humanity and the good of our Church, through the Heart of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Heart of Jesus. Amen

Saint Juan Diego, pray for us, for all the little ones and families for whom we pray.

The Immaculate Conception of Mary

You are all beautiful, my beloved, and there is no blemish in you. Song of Solomon 4:7

Today is the Feast Day of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. On this day, we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was conceived without sin. The Immaculate Conception means that the Blessed Virgin Mary was free from Original Sin from the very moment of her conception in the womb of her mother, Saint Anne.

We celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 8; nine months before is December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Today is the Patronal Feast Day of the United States of America. May Our Lady bless our country and protect and guide us. Please pray for the protection and sanctity of all Life, especially for life in the womb, for the restoration of the sanctity of Marriage and for the protection of Religious Freedom in our beloved country.

Christ is the "new Adam". The Church Fathers, Saint Justin in 150AD and Saint Irenaeus 180AD, saw Mary as the "new Eve". She humbly obeyed God; Eve disobeyed. The Church Fathers also called Mary the "new ark of the covenant" and theotokos, God-bearer. From these titles came the doctrine of Mary's Immaculate Conception and her sinlessness unfolded. Saint Ephrem, the Syrian, in 373AD spoke of Mary as without stain or blemish, calling her "all pure, all immaculate, all stainless, all undefiled, all incorrupt, all inviolate." Saint Augustine left open the possibility of Mary's sinlessness, using language similar to the Catholic dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

Heavenly Father, You prepared the Virgin Mary to be the worthy Mother of your Son. You let her share beforehand in the salvation Christ would bring by His death and kept her sinless from the first moment of her conception. Help us, by her prayers, to live in Your presence without sin. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Reflection: Advent, a time of waiting...

Prepare the way of the Lord!

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. The best way to prepare for Advent is to spend it with Mary, reflecting on how she pondered God's Word. Mary was still. Gaze at the image of the Madonna with Child awaiting the birth of Jesus and ponder like Mary.

Mary invites you to be still. to listen and ponder as God speaks to you during this beautiful season of Advent, as you prepare your heart for the birth of Jesus. 

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:11

How can you prepare your heart for the coming of the baby Jesus on Christmas Day? Ask Our Lady to accompany you. She is your most loving Mother and she will always lead you to her Beloved Son. 

Be still like Mary. Spend time with Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration. It is there, in the silence, that Jesus will speak to your heart. The message of Advent is to bring light into a world of darkness. The Advent candles symbolize Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. It is He who dispels the darkness and brings hope. The Lord is always coming to those who seek Him. Let us seek Him through the eyes and heart of Mary.

The silent soul is capable of attaining the closest union with God. It lives almost always under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. God works in a silent soul without hindrance. In order to hear the voice of God, one has to have silence in one's soul and to keep silence; not a gloomy silence but an interior silence; that is to say, recollection in God. Diary of Saint Faustina 198, 477, 118

No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but You doing such deeds for those who wait for Him. Isaiah 64:3 

In the wilderness, John the Baptist proclaimed the saving Presence of God. After the Baptism of the Lord, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit rested upon Him in the form of a dove. The voice of the Father was heard: This is My Beloved Son, listen to Him. God came to a deserted place. He calls you into a deserted place, into the silence, where you can hear Him. 

Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and lead her into the wilderness, and speak persuasively to her. Hosea 2:16

Open the door of your heart, be still and rest awhile...